We'll play some Christmas songs in just a bit (including one from this album), but I had to shake the dust off my old perceptions of Mindi Abair because her sound has changed a lot since her days of recording with Dave Koz and Peter White. So, man, my expectations for her coming Christmas album were, to borrow a phrase from politics, no longer operable. Mindi's all grown up and she's got the blues!

​ 1. All I Got for Christmas Is the Blues* 2. I Can't Wait for Christmas* 3. Merry Christmas Baby 4. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 5. The Best Part of Christmas* 6. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree 7. The Christmas Song 8. Run Run Rudolph 9. Christmas Fool**Original song

Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers return with a powerhouse Blues Rock Holiday Album. Four original songs feature the hard driving, down and dirty "All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues". And 5 holiday classics including "Merry Christmas Baby" and "The Christmas Song" are reimagined with a gritty, raucous spirit.

Born in Florida to working musicians, Mindi Abair was playing sax by the time she was 5 (do I need to mention my macaroni art again?). She released her debut record in 2000 and first graced us with a holiday present in 2004, when she released "I Can't Wait For Christmas". And, Ok, that one was a tiny bit bluesy, but bluesy in a light Jazzy kinda way. See, Mindy was making her name as a Contemporary Jazz artist, a Smooth Jazz artist. So the music was breezy and her vocals were effervescent and airy. Great tune, by the way (it's what we'll close with) and I loved it instantly. But a totally different head from where she's at now.

In 2007, Mindi teamed up with Peter White and Rick Braun for the Smooth Jazz excursion "Peter White Christmas" (see what they did there?). Mindi reprised "I Can't Wait For Christmas" and contributed another original, "The Best Part of Christmas". A solid album, well executed, and very enjoyable. But still Smooth Jazz. And, in 2015, came "Peter White Christmas Live" (I have no memory of that one whatsoever). Mind you, Mindi has dabbled in other genres along the way and, as I've listened almost exclusively to Christmas music for the past ten years, I'm sure I missed lots. But still... where in the hell did this balls-to-the-wall, low down and dirty, nitty gritty, tough as nails Blues woman come from?

Well, as best as we can determine, Mindi's career shifted when she was the resident sax player on American Idol. Indeed, we may actually be able to pinpoint the exact moment...as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith said to a contestant, "Forget you, who's your sax player?"

Cutting a long story short, Mindi re-emerged in 2015 with a hard driving Blues Rock group, The Boneshakers. And, though she was twice nominated for the Grammy in her Contemporary Jazz days, she and the band won 8 Independent Blues Awards earlier this year alone, including Best New Artist, Best New Artist CD, and Artist of the Year.

​"All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues" is set for release on October 26. It includes four original tunes--the two Mindi recorded earlier in her career plus the title track and "Christmas Fool". There will also be a 7" vinyl single pairing "All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues" with "The Best Part of Christmas".

Hey, it's Blues. So, you know me, I'm all in. I don't need an additional incentive to pique my interest. But I truly can't wait to hear how Mindi Abair & The Boneshakers re-imagine Mindi's own earlier Christmas songs. Including this one.

Leave a Reply.

About us

I love Christmas, music, and cats. What more do you need to know?Anyone wishing to contact Stubby's for any reason may do so by emailing:​stubbyschristmas@gmail.com.Readers should assume that any item reviewed on this site has been provided by the artist or label in exchange for promotional consideration, whether or not that is actually the case. If you are the copyright holder for any song or image appearing here and wish that item to be removed, please let me know via email and I will remove it forthwith. My intentions are to inform and interest people in your work, so that they might purchase it; not to provide anyone a way to avoid doing so.